Duchess of York set to write children's book on Philip's 'bullying'

THE Duchess of York, who once claimed to have been bullied by Prince Philip, is set to write a children’s book on the subject.

The Duchess of York is set to write a children’s book on the subject of Philip's 'bullying'/Wenn.com []

Branded “odd and pointless” by her former father-in-law during her marriage to Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson’s latest story is designed to help youngsters who find themselves the target of playground bullies.

“All children face new experiences as they grow up and helping them understand and deal with each of them is one of the most demanding and rewarding things we do as parents,” the Duchess explained.

“I hope these books encourage children and parents to talk about these issues. Talking goes a long way to finding a solution.”

Fergie, 50, who has written books for children and adults including Little Red, Tea With Ruby and What I Know Now: Simple Lessons Learnt The Hard Way, began publishing her Helping Hand Books in Britain three years ago and is launching the series in America.

It is hoped the project will help to plug a hole in her finances after her promotions business Hartmoor closed with debts of £700,000 last year.

Fergie has carved out a career in the States by promoting brands such as Weight Watchers and Wedgwood china. She often appears on chat shows talking about royal life and sometimes goes into intimate detail about her marriage to the Queen’s second son.

In one interview she revealed the extent of her hostile relationship with Prince Philip.

“It was so bad that I believed I was this worthless human being,” she said. “I thought maybe Prince Philip was right but I don’t really want to develop a thicker skin. I want to know not why he says I’m odd and pointless, but why it would affect me.”

In her 1996 autobiography My Story, Sarah admitted she was reduced to a “great ball of fear” in her father-in-law’s presence.

She revealed how, after she split from Andrew in 1992, Philip suggested she move into a two-bedroomed cottage with an outdoor toilet on the Windsor estate with daughters Beatrice, now 21, and Eugenie, 19. “I might have been blown away but I wasn’t that defeated,” she wrote.

Frances Gilbert of publisher Sterling Children’s Books, which is behind the new series, said: “What better role model to share her wisdom about how to navigate the twists and turns of today’s family?”